Confidence: A "Must-Have" for Successful Leadership

Posted on May 8, 2025

Have you ever wondered what separates those who achieve their dreams and aspirations from those who don't? While talent, hard work, and opportunity certainly play a role, there's a less tangible but equally powerful force: confidence. The Oxford Dictionary defines confidence as the feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something: a belief that someone can learn and grow, and the resilience to bounce back from difficulty. For aspiring leaders, entrepreneurs, and thriving professionals, confidence isn't just a nice-to-have, it's a must-have.

What is Confidence?

The word confidence comes from the Latin words con (with) and fidere (trust). Many leaders who found great levels of success, have had moments where they experienced setbacks such low self-esteem, imposter syndrome, or self-sabotaging thoughts, feelings and actions. A primary reason for this is yielding to negative internal or external criticism.

Reflecting on this, I consider confidence to be resolved assurance. Resolved which means firmly determined to do something and Assurance which means a guarantee or being certain in my course of action. Notice this definition does not depend on the outcome. Whereas planning, preparing and achieving your goals indeed gives you confidence, it is equally important to act from a place of confidence right from the outset.

Why Is Confidence Important?

The American Psychologist conducted a study, which revealed that high self-esteem; a close cousin to confidence, contributes to positive outcomes across multiple life domains, including relationships, business, and the professional sphere. When you start by having resolute assurance i.e. with trust around your decisions, you create a virtuous cycle that positions you to have the right mindset, take the actions and have the temperament that produces and sustains self-confidence.

What Are The Obstacles To Cultivating Confidence?

Many aspiring leaders face three obstacles in building confidence. The first obstacle is in believing that confidence is innate. That you either born having it or you don't. Second is conflating confidence with aggression. While in the short term, the feeling of aggression may produce a jolt of confidence, any actions or words used in this agitated state may not have the desirable long term outcome. Third is the expectation that success must precede confidence. While success does bolster confidence, this belief may create inaction especially in novel situations or where efforts that have yet to produce a positive outcome.

Why is Your Mindset Important To Becoming Confident?

A common theme across these three obstacles is that they are based on limiting beliefs. Confidence as a counter to limiting beliefs is a mix of both practice and state of mind. Imagine you are an athlete and you've decided to run a marathon in three months. You register and train for the race three times a week. Each morning right before your practice run, your palms soak with sweat, and the muscles may feel sore from the previous training.

You know you have to wake up and still train and you have to face the constant mental battle against doubt. At each start, you counter the thoughts, emotions, and ideas that create resistance. However, you still decide to lace up, get to the track, and clock in for the morning run.

As you consistently train you realize your pace has improved and so has your running form. Come race day, you feel confident as you've not only prepared your body but you worked on your mind as well. When you cross the finish line you may experience intense mixed emotions from completing a monumental physical and mental challenge. As you take in the full complement of the race, you reflect on the obstacles and the success. Your mind reinforces the confidence you had when you initially decided to run the race.

Conclusion

As you can see confidence is not just the feeling of potential or thrill from achieving your objectives. It is a conscious decision you must make. You begin doing this by cultivating awareness around the meaning of confidence in your business, professional life, or in your relationships. You will know you are operating from the causal perspective of confidence when you choose to pursue and accomplish your goals despite the challenges. As such, confidence becomes a demonstration of the certainty around the decisions you make even when the outcome is not in sight.